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Title: Effect of Washing Broiler Carcasses in Potassium Hydroxide and Lauric Acid on Native Bacterial Flora

Author
item Hinton Jr, Arthur
item Northcutt, Julie
item Cason Jr, John
item Smith, Douglas
item Ingram, Kimberly

Submitted to: International Poultry Forum Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2006
Publication Date: 1/22/2007
Citation: Hinton Jr, A., Northcutt, J.K., Cason Jr, J.A., Smith, D.P., Ingram, K.D. 2007. Effect of Washing Broiler Carcasses in Potassium Hydroxide and Lauric Acid on Native Bacterial Flora [abstract]. International Poultry Forum Proceedings. Poultry Science 86(Suppl. 1):740.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Experiments were conducted to examine the bactericidal effect of mixtures of potassium hydroxide (KOH) and lauric acid (LA) on the native microflora of broiler carcasses. Eviscerated carcasses obtained from a local, commercial poultry processing facility were placed in solutions of 1.0% KOH and 2.0 % LA or in distilled water (controls) and washed in the solutions by shaking for 1 min on a mechanical shaker. Whole-carcass-rinses (WCR) in Butterfield's Phosphate Buffer were performed to recover bacteria from the washed carcasses following each of 3 successive washes in KOH-LA or water. Bacterial populations of WCR rinsates were enumerated by plating serial dilutions of rinsates on bacteriological media. Total plate count bacteria (TPC), Campylobacter, and Escherichia coli in the native bacterial flora were enumerated by culturing rinsates on Plate Count Agar, Campylobacter Agar, and Petrifilm, respectively. Results indicated that significantly fewer TPC bacteria were recovered from carcasses washed in KOH-LA than from carcasses washed in water; however, there was no significant difference in the number of TPC bacteria recovered from carcasses washed 1, 2, or 3 times in KOH-LA. Additionally, significantly fewer TPC bacteria were recovered from carcasses washed 1 time in water than from carcasses washed 3 times in water. No Campylobacter or E. coli were recovered from carcasses following the first KOH-LA wash, although log10 2.71 Campylobacter/ml and log10 0.95 E. coli/ml were recovered from carcasses following the first wash in water. Repeated washing in water did not significantly reduce the number of Campylobacter recovered from the carcasses, but no E. coli were recovered from carcasses after the third wash in water. Findings indicate that the antibacterial activity of KOH-LA can significantly reduce populations of native bacterial flora of broiler carcasses washed in the mixture. Reduction of the number of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria on processed carcasses washed in KOH-LA might reduce the number of foodborne illnesses associated with processed poultry products and extend the shelf life of fresh poultry. Key words: lauric acid, potassium hydroxide, antimicrobial, broilers, carcasses